Employers can sack recalcitrant staff, but that’s not an option for governments, much as they may wish to strip their critics of citizenship.
Governments in states with working democracies – where there are strong institutions like an independent judiciary, and free press to check those in power – have to suffer the irritation of […]

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has revealed that 486 million people remain undernourished in Asia-Pacific, and little had changed from the past two years. According to a report released here on Friday, more than half of the world’s malnourished children live in Asia-Pacific, reports Xinhua news agency. The region is also home to […]

Blasphemy case: Pakistan army spokesperson urges protesters to let the legal process take its course Protesters rally to condemn a Supreme Court decision that acquitted Asia Bibi, who spent eight years on death row accused of blasphemy, in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. Update: Reports began coming in at around 4.30pm UAE time that […]

GENTIOUX-PIGEROLLES, France (AP) — When Almass was just 14, his widowed mother reluctantly sent him and his 11-year-old brother from their home in Afghanistan all the way to Germany via a chain of smugglers. The payment for their trip was supposed to get them away from the Taliban. Now Almass’ young brother is among the […]

Japan’s Nikkei 225 remained in negative territory, however, falling by 0.57 percent while the Topix shed 0.5 percent. Tech giants were in focus, with shares of Panasonic plunging 8.16 percent and conglomerate Softbank diving more than 7 percent. Dan Baker, an analyst at Morningstar, said Softbank’s significant decline may be due to news about one […]

Imports of Iranian crude oil by major buyers in Asia hit a 32-month low in September, as China, South Korea and Japan sharply cut their purchases ahead of upcoming U.S. sanctions on Tehran, government and ship-tracking data showed. China, India, Japan and South Korea last month imported 1.13 million barrels per day (bpd) from Iran, […]

Air pollution kills 7 million people each year including 600,000 children. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that , almost all of these children are in poor countries in Asia and Africa. It also said 9 out of 10 people on the planet breathes in toxic air. Dr. Maria Neira is the WHO’s […]

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Oil prices were stable on Monday, supported by a bounce in Asian stocks, but analysts said sentiment remained cautious after a plunge in financial markets last week triggered worries that global growth may be slowing. Oil and gas tanks are seen at an oil warehouse at a port in Zhuhai, China October […]